Friday, May 29, 2009

Obama Endorses Corn Ethanol

governors biofuels coalition ethanol
President Barack Obama sent a letter of support this week to the Governor’s Biofuels Coalition endorsing corn-based ethanol.
“My administration is committed to moving as quickly as possible to commercialize an array of emerging cellulosic technologies so that tomorrow’s biofuels will be produced from sustainable biomass feedstocks and waste materials rather than corn,” Obama wrote in his letter to the coalition of governors. 
“But this transition will be successful only if the first-generation biofuels industry remains viable in the near term.”
As we've been reporting here all along, supporters of oil have mounted their all-out attack against corn ethanol to shut down the alternative fuels industry.  As goes corn ethanol, so goes the whole biofuels effort.

Forrtunately, a wide range of supporters, across the political aisle and across the country remain committed to a vibrant biofuels future.  And that means moving forward with the technology and infrastructure that is available now.

Thank you President Obama for your strong support shown this week for biofuels, especially corn ethanol.


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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Ethanol Conversion Untruths, Misinformation and Negative Overstatements

The Auto Channel
Bob Gordon, President and Co-Publisher of The Auto Channel, criticizes PBS (Public Broadcasting Corporation) and its Motor Week auto show in a recent commentary for hyping ethanol conversion untruths, misinformation and negative overstatement.

Gordon recounts how the show recently hyped the "enormity of a Flex Fuel retrofit conversion" for a General Motors engine.

However, Gordon shares that 85% of the engine parts for an E85 conversion are the "exact same parts".

Gordon also discusses how a move to E85 ethanol vehicles is our country best effort to move us to greener vehicles and break our dependence upon foreign oil.

Check out the full commentary HERE.

Source: AutoChannel

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Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Big Food's Big Lobby Lobbies Big Time

GMA Grocery Manufacturers Association
Big Food's Big Lobby, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, continues its funding to undermine America's move to cleaner and more secure domestic renewable fuels.

In recent lobbying disclosure reports for the first quarter of 2009, GMA spent $720,000.00 to lobby the US Government on a variety of issues.  

A big component of this recently disclosed activity was GMA's  lobbying against ethanol to the House of Representatives, the Senate and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

And this total doesn't include the individual lobbying reports of the leading companies of the association.  Or their allies at the American Petroleum Institute.  Millions of dollars continue to pour into DC to keep America tied to dirty foreign oil.

But this is all far from surprising.  Last year we reported that the GMA launched an all out stealth attack against domestic biofuels.  Why?  Because American farmers were an easy target and an acceptable scapegoat for rising food prices.

But the attacks didn't go unnoticed. And months after global commodity prices have sharply fallen, retail food prices remain high and the profits at the big food companies remain even higher.

America needs clean, renewable biofuels like ethanol.  And fleecing American consumers with higher food prices to lobby against energy independence is no way to win loyal consumers.


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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Milk Prices Tumble But Consumers Don't Get Benefit

dairy cow milk pricesAn interesting story that finally getting some press coverage is that recent low milk prices haven't shown full benefits to consumers.

The Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinal reported yesterday about the collapse of milk prices and the slaughter of herds and dumping of milk:
But nine months after prices began tumbling on the farm, consumers aren't seeing the full benefits.

The average price for a gallon of milk at grocery stores nationwide last month was down just 19% from its peak of $3.83 in July. Farmers, on the other hand, got $1.04 a gallon in April - 35% less than they were paid last fall.
So what are milk producers doing about this?  In Europe, they're rioting and protesting the low prices.  

And here in the US, they're thinning the herds.
The dairy industry response to these problems is to buyout cowherds through the Cooperatives Working Together (CWT) herd retirement program. CWT is a multi-dimensional, voluntary, producer-funded national program developed by the National Milk Producers Federation to balance supply and demand. Producers who have their bid selected must liquidate their entire herd and stay out of production for an entire year.  - High Plains Journal
This means there'll be less milk available in the future and thus higher prices.

Last time this cycle happened, the blame was shifted squarely on the price of ethanol and corn and ignored the demand/supply issue, including the herd culls.

Let's see how long before the first uninformed media story starts the wrong blame game again.
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Friday, May 22, 2009

America's Energy Source Choice: Midwest or Middle East?

America Energy Source Midwest or Middle East
As Americans commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of American service personnel this holiday weekend, it reminds us of the tremendous cost that America continues to pay in blood, sweat, and billions of dollars to protect oil supplies around the world.  

America must continue to invest in domestic sources of energy.  And the simple reality is that we can move forward quickly with proven, earth-friendly technologies like bio fuels now.  Future technology discoveries will build upon the structure that is in place and growing now.

But it will all be lost if opponents get their way to label bio fuels as "unworkable",  "expensive", or "dirtier" than fossil fuels.

So this weekend, the choice remains.  Where should America get its energy?  

The Midwest or the Middle East?

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Thursday, May 21, 2009

House Committee Reviews Proposals for Low Carbon Fuel Standards

The House Agriculture Committee today held a hearing to review proposals to implement low carbon fuel standards and efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on state and federal levels.

The Agriculture Committee heard testimony from representatives of four renewable fuel companies and organizations who expressed serious concerns about provisions in proposed low carbon fuel standards that put U.S. biofuel producers at a disadvantage.

Leading experts on the subject who testified included:

  • Mr. Brian Jennings, Executive Vice President, American Coalition for Ethanol, Sioux Falls, South Dakota
  • Mr. Tom Buis, Chief Executive Officer, Growth Energy, Washington, D.C.
  • Mr. Bob Dinneen, President and CEO, Renewable Fuels Association, Washington, D.C.
  • Mr. Carlos A. Riva, President and CEO, Verenium Corporation, Cambridge, Massachusetts

    • Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin Peterson also expressed concern over pending legislation and regulations:
    “I continue to be very concerned that some of the renewable fuel provisions under consideration on a state and national level are short on science and long on obstructive and excessive restrictions for domestically produced biofuels. The United States needs to have energy policies that are flexible, practical, and innovative.”
    Indeed, proposed regulations and calculations of indirect land use by the EPA have generated fierce opposition for being highly speculative and imperfect.
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    Wednesday, May 20, 2009

    Ethanol Made From Watermelons? It's Not a Fruity Idea!

    watermelon ethanol fuel fruit summerThe summertime favorite may play an important role in helping to break America's dependence upon foreign oil.

    According to a new report by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies in Lane, Okla., watermleons show potential for producing ethanol from melons often left in the field due to external blemishes or deformities.
    Now, instead of being plowed under, such melons could get an economic "new lease on life" as ethanol. Normally, this biofuel is produced from cane crops like corn, sorghum or sugarcane as a cleaner-burning alternative to gasoline. The watermelon work reflects a national push by ARS to diversify America's "portfolio" of biofuel crops that can diminish the reliance on petroleum, especially from foreign suppliers.

    Chemist Wayne Fish's ethanol studies at the ARS South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory in Lane complement ongoing research there to commercially extract lycopene and citrulline from the crop. Both are valued nutraceutical compounds thought to promote cardiovascular and other health benefits.

    In publication-pending studies, Fish showed ethanol can be fermented from the glucose, fructose and sucrose in waste-stream juices--what's left after lycopene and citrulline are extracted. Making ethanol offers the potential benefits of helping to defray sewage treatment costs associated with nutraceutical extraction, and providing watermelon growers with a new market for their crop.

    On average, a 20-pound watermelon will yield about 1.4 pounds of sugar from the flesh and rind, from which about seven-tenths of a pound of ethanol can be derived. To extract all the possible sugars, Fish is seeking to degrade the rind with chemical and enzyme treatments. He's also evaluating different combination of temperatures, yeasts, antifoaming agents and pH levels to optimize the system.

    Researchers continue to look at other sources for ethanol as well.  Which is why efforts to kill off early ethanol efforts is really a plot to stay dependent to foreign oil.

    So enjoy the summer treat.  It might be the key to a cleaner, safer domestic fuel source!

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